Juvenilia (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen) Paperback – Illustrated, 30 May 2013

Beautiful book, you can never go wrong with a cloth bound classic. A truly wonderful gift for any literary lover.

it's a good collection of the less well known material. the letters can be a bit difficult to follow so don't expect it to be an easy bedtime read. Love and Freindship (SIC) will be of interest to fans of the author because it is a naive, early story that shows how far she progressed. Worth having if you collect her books.

This made my head spin a bit. Best taken in small doses. However, the work does illustrate the beginnings of Jane Austen's style of writing that was to become so successful later in her life.

Austen's 'Juvenilia' is very amusing. it is also wise and observant as Austen fans would expect. I read it in short bursts because the 'plots' are thin and there is no page-turning factor and there are letters and short pieces too. It is a dip into book. I had the impression of a brainy schoolgirl spoofing one of her exam set books for the amusement of her classmates. And yet of course this spoof predates the set text! The characters are the chief delight with embryonic traits of characters -to-come. The chief motivation of all females is to bag a suitable husband and if (as seems to be the case) no such husband is to be found, then an unsuitable one will do. The major factor in suitability is, of course wealth. Yes, it is all very familiar but the comedy is less refined, not vintage Austen but perhaps the distilled spirit simply awaiting a few years to mature and none the less effective in making us smile.

Great addition to my collection and so beautiful as part of the set

A must for all truly dedicated Austen admirers - it broadens our understanding of her literary character. She's more mischievous than in the six great published novels.

I thought it was interesting to see how Austen’s writing developed from this point to later works, such as Pride & Prejudice. I’m thankful that her style matured and improved!

Attractive book - a present so can't really say more